TIGER

Franklin Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 110, 19 September 1938, Page 2

TIGER

(By STERLING NORTH)

INSTALMENT 28. [ T i And then us .Jerry liad once called |o Joe in the battle on tlie yacht she now called to Peter. She was not afraid for herself, only for him, and she pleaded with him to hear her and lie strong and pull himself 'free. Joe was merciless, she told him. lie would not hesitate to kill Peler. Jerry cried, “For my sake, Peter, break away.” Somehow that last tearful plea got through to him, and, tired as he was, lie made a final mighty effort, tore Joe’s arm away from his throat and staggered to his feet. Joe too stood up, but seemed almost as wasted and done in as Peter. Their arms were heavy and their bodies tired. They fought slowly as if beneath the sea. Their blows were clumsy and ineffectual. But Peter seemed to be regaining his strength and Jerry urged him on. Ilis youth and clean living were coming to his aid. He now threw in a barrage of blows which seemed to gain in strength instead of weaken. Joe’s head was being knocked from side to side. He was breathing heavily. Peter drove in a crushing blow which brought him to his knees. Joe was up. Then down again for an easy fourteen. And now Jerry was holding Peter in her arms and kissing the places he had been hurt. They weren’t even looking at Joe and they weren’t thinking about him. They were only aware of each other, and that the day was very clear and bright, and that Peter had won.

There seemed to he something that they wanted to say to each other. Something desperately important and very beautiful, but they could not quite determine what it was. ' And Jerry helped Peter down to the clear lake and bathed his face with her handkerchief, and Peter, despite his hurts was very gay.

“This was a splendid week-end after all,” Peter laughed, and Jerry kissed his cut lips and told ’ him not to try to talk too much. “You’re perfectly magnificent, Peter,” she said, “you looked so young and clean, and he so cruel and villainously old and dissipated.” “It’s a shame to have to heat up an old fellow like that,” Peter said. “Let’s take him a drink of water from the spring over there.” “Well, we could unbend that much, I guess,” Jerry said.

But when they had started hack to Joe with the drink they realised that he was gone. And, although the house was not visible from the clearing, they realised lie had undoubtedly gone for help.

They then heard men running and they knew they had no reason at all to he sorry for Joe Middleton, and that they must think of some way to escape that moment or they would be cornered in the clearing or hunted out of the brush and shot like prairie chickens.

Then they noticed again the speedboat tied to the pier and Peter, pulling Jerry along, got her to the boat and helped her in. 1-Ie leaned quickly over the controls, stepped on the starter and gave the engine some gas. It refused to start.

They heard the footsteps comingnearer, and they heard a cry as the first of the men stepped into the clearing and saw them in the speedboat. In another moment three shots splashed in the water beside the boat and one caromed off the metal prow and went zinging out over the lake. “Duck, Jerry, and leave this to me. Peter slipped the rope from over the piling to which it was tied, pushed the boat away from the pier, and with the oncoming horde not one hundred feet away got the engine started. The big Gar Wood roared like an airplane motor.

Peter turned the boat as sharply as be was able, shifted gears, then shifted them again and giving the engine every bit of gas available, headed off towards the town of Lake Geneva at a fifly-mile clip. Bullets splashed around them. Fain fly over the roar of the engine they heard the rat-tat-fat of a machine gun. And once a slug crashed through the glass of the windshield. But now they were beyond range and the big motor was purring beautifully. The water spread in a wide green fan behind them, sparkling in I he sunshine like the. tail of a peacock. The shore line seemed to be moving slowly backward. Big summer homes drifted by as if upon a coloured film.

! Now Williams bay was hidden be- . hind Cedar point, next the big obscr- ! vatory had disappeared from view. They had crossed the lake and were ! following the north shore, zooming ! along through the slight waves, j “But can’t they head us off?” Jerry asked. “How far is if by road?” | ‘I don’t know, Jerry, but it is far--1 flier than by water.” | “Joe can do ninety in I hat low green roadster,” Jerry said, raising her voice In be heard over the steady roar of tlie motor. I “1 can't get any more than sixty out of this,” Peter said, “and at dial I’ll bel we're establishing some sort of a record for Lake Geneva.” “And when wo reach the town?” “I don’t think they have more than

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a couple of trains, a day,” Peter said: ••we’ll have to hire a ear if possible. And the faster Ilia 1, car is Hie heller.” ••You don’t think they will he waiting for us there when we arrive? Joe’s men, I mean.”

••We’ll have to take a chance on that,” Peter said.

They sat very close together on the seat and Peter put his arm around Jerry, and they knew that whatever they would have to face they would face it: together. Jerry wasn’t frightened now. hut she scanned Ihe southern shore wondering if somewhere among those trees fast cars loaded with arme.il men were racing toward the town to head them off. And then Jerry thought to look in the pockets and compartments of the big boat.. Undoubtedly there were guns somewhere here. Joe was never very far away from one of his many armouries. 1 As she had expected she found ! guns. Three of them, and plenty of ammunition. Two were big Holts i and the third was a rather useless lit--1 He .22 which had perhaps been used i to shoot turtles.

“Good girl, Jerry.” Peter said approvingly as she showed him the two big Colls, but he laughed at the .22. “We can’t do very much with that popgun, I’m afraid.” “Popgun or not, I’m taking it along,” Jerry said. How long it seemed to lake them to cover that five miles! In reality it was scarcely more than as many minutes, but to Jerry’s overwrought mind their terrific speed through the water was all too slow. But now they were pulling up to the big pier past lovqly homes bordering the lake, and now they were leaping out and tying the boat to the wharf. “Our kingdom for a fast car,” said Jerry; “where do you think we’ll find one ?” ‘Let’s try that garage up the street,” Peter suggested, and the two set off at a run, much to the curiosity of the populace. “Have you a car we can rent in a hurry?” Jerry said as they came up breathless.

“Well, now, let me see,” drawled the easy-going garage' man, filling his pipe slowly and conscientiously. “What do you want it for?”

“Oh, good Lord,” sadi Peter, “do we have to stop to go into that?” “It ain’t that I mind letting you have the car,” said the garage man, making himself more comfortable in his chair, “but I’d like to know if I’m ever going to get it back.” "You’ll get it back,” Peter snapped. “Can’t you tell honest people when you see them?” “I’m not so sure you two look honest,” drawled the man.

And then it was that Peter and .Terry realised for the first time what a peculiar sight they presented. Jerry was only reasonably rumpled and disarrayed as any girl might be after a sixty-mile-an-hour speedboat ride. But Peter, who had hastily put on his shirt after the battle but had forgotten his coat, was bloody and torn from head to heel.

‘We can’t stop to argue,” Jerry said in her most winsome manner, “but I am sure that a fine-looking, intelligent man like yourself will understand that we are in difficulty and will help us out.”

“Trying to elope?” asked the garage man.

“Well, perhaps,” said Jerry. “At least that’s as good an explanation as any. And now how about the car?” ‘You'll have to sign up and leave a good-sized deposit,” the man said. “Here. I’ll give you 100 dollars,” Peter said. “And now for Lord's sake let’s get going.”

“One hundred dollars will do a great deal these days,” said the man, leading them back into the garage, which smelled strongly of gas, oil and home brew. The car lie showed them was impossible. Both Peter and Jerry realised that if it would do thirty miles an hour downhill before a strong wind if would be a miracle. ‘You must have something else,” Jerry said frantically. "I tell you we are in a hurry.” “I'll make it 200 dollars.” Peter said. And so at last they were given an eight-cylinder car with plenty of speed and were ready to pull out of the garage when up to the gas pumps outside drew a long black sedan. (To he Continued).